Useful Searches

Has anyone heard about this clinic in Israel? Doesn't seem too professional by the looks of the website but I emailed some of the patients that talk on the videos and they replied telling me they had good experience with this treatment.

However, they could all be in on the scheme of course. After all, they all are in the patient videos so I wouldn't expect any other answer then they give there, but I wanted to see how eager the former patients were to get me to sign up.

His clinic and treatment is well documented. Google it. I chose to not go to Israel after correspondence with the good doctor because it struck me as odd that he does not reveal the content of his medications plus he requires absolute adherence to his program. As a vegetarian that could be a problem.

The "treatment" as I understand it, consists of mixing antioxidants according to a specific recipe based on the patient's "needs" (which are determined from a blood sample and other tests). It is unlikely that mixing a potion of antioxidants would cure or even improve tinnitus.

That is as much as I know.

[I do find some of the video testimonials on the doctor's homepage surprising; there is a gynecologist claiming to have been cured by this Israeli doctor - the name of the gynecologist is Dr. Arie Yagoda, and his testimonial obviously increases the strength of Dr. Shemesh's claims, but still...]

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. ‒ Arthur Schopenhauer

Tinnitus treatment in Israel by Dr Zecharya Shemesh: the cure or elaborate scam?

I am a middle aged former chronic tinnitus sufferer who was a patient of Dr. Shemesh for an extended period of time. I went through all phases of his treatment. I also met and kept contact with many other patients seeking cure from Dr Shemesh.

Dr Shemesh believes that tinnitus can be cured by appropriate metabolic changes. He claims that he can cure or significantly improve 70% of patients within 1 year and 80% within 2 or more years *. To achieve this you have to stay in Israel for at least 5 weeks during which he would take detailed anamnesis and order blood tests. After five weeks you would return home and keep taking capsules for at least one year. His website (http://www.en.tinnitus-vertigo-clinic.com/) mentions his affiliation with Israeli army and Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. During my association with Dr Shemesh I have learned the following facts:

1) Dr Shemesh was affiliated with both Israeli army and Hadassah medical center in the past. In the last 10 years or so he is affiliated with no one. His clinic is one man show run exclusively by him. His recently updated website is misleading showing what seems like a state of the art medical center. The clinic where he works consists of one room in the basement of an old dinghy building where he shares space with other doctors. The building where he works is not even remotely similar to the building on his website. His office also has no medical equipment.

2) Dr Shemesh did not publish any papers about treatment of tinnitus **. His metabolic approach is still kept secret and has never been under any peer review despite being, according to Dr Shemesh, “successfully” used since 1981. No independent clinical study was ever conducted to find out weather his treatment works or does not.

I have noticed that Dr Shemesh is not critical of the facts and sees everything as his own success. If your symptoms improve only for a short time, he sees “the cure on horizon”. If your symptoms get worse, he talks about “healing crisis” which is “the proof that therapy works”. If nothing happens, you have to be patient and wait, wait and again wait because “your metabolism is slower than in the average person”. While “waiting for Godot”, you have of course keep paying hundreds of dollars per month for very expensive multivitamins he purveys *****.

Dr Shemesh by his own admission also keeps no follow up data on patients he treats. Instead, he shows cherry picked videos of patients who at one point got better.

The discharge letter he gave me nearly one year after beginning of therapy was galore with factual and other mistakes and made me wonder if he was even listening to me.

3) His capsules are composed of very low amounts of vitamins, minerals and four herbs. Capsules are divided into two groups that he calls the key and the cylinder. The key is taken once per day during the entire treatment. The number of cylinders varies. Patient remains on one cylinder for two months. If there is no reduction of symptoms, one extra cylinder is added each second month. According to Dr Shemesh, majority of patients respond when taking 3 to 6 cylinders, therefore within at least 6 to 12 months. In one patient eight cylinders per day were required, meaning that it could take up to 16 months or longer to see if therapy works or not.
4) Cylinders should be spread throughout entire day in as many equal intervals as possible. They are taken the same way as antibiotics, which is very unusual for vitamins, minerals and herbs.

5) While on his capsules no alcohol or multivitamin preparations are allowed. Dr. Shemesh claims that addition of multivitamins will not allow his secret formula to work properly. Vitamins from food, even if in the unlimited amounts, however, do not disturb the formula.

6) Dr Shemesh purveys capsules prepared by his own pharmacist. Name of the pharmacist is a secret. Patients cannot contact pharmacist directly to double check for ingredients or for a price. In the past Dr Shemesh used to say that composition of capsules was a military secret. When Israeli army denied knowledge of the "secret" Dr Shemesh changed tactics and started giving patients chemical composition of capsules, which he claims are composed of very small amounts of vitamins, minerals and herbs. The main ingredients are very similar or identical in most patients, the amounts, however, differ slightly and supposedly reflect the metabolic state of body which Dr Shemesh obtains from blood tests and interview. He likes to tell patients that a course in mathematics at Oxford University helps him calculate the correct amounts.
I contacted about two dozen pharmacies in Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel and no one was willing to prepare capsules according to Dr Shemesh prescription. I do therefore have doubts that capsules indeed contain what Dr Shemesh is saying they do.

7) Dr Shemesh introduced me to multiple patients who he claimed were cured. When alone, however, all patients told me that they still had tinnitus. In some cases tinnitus was decreased, in some increased and in most cases it was the same. Conversely, I received phone calls from other patients congratulating me on my “cure”, when in fact, my tinnitus remained the same. None of the patients that started therapy at approximately the same time as me got cured or got significantly better and neither did I, despite religiously taking all his medicine for one to many years. This is very far from 70-80 % cure rate or significant improvement that he promises.

On different occasions Dr Shemesh also mentioned very unusual success stories. When I asked him about additional details few weeks later, he told me the story differently or did not know what patient I was talking about.

8) Many of his theoretical assumptions are plain wrong:

1st, there is very little scientific proof to support the use of vitamins, herbs or minerals for tinnitus.

2nd, vitamins can be easily taken once a day, and do not have to be equally spread like antibiotics.

3rd, Dr Shemesh recommends cow’s liver as a source of vitamin B12 even in patients with high blood levels of vitamin B12. He claims that vitamin B12 measured in blood is cyanocobalamine from multivitamin preparations and not metcobalamine from food such as liver. The matter of fact is that cyanocobalamine transforms into metcobalamine in the human body, therefore, additional sources of metcobalamine are not needed in people with high dosages of cyanocobalamine.

4th, the composition of his capsules is said to be individually calculated up to one tenth of the microgram. If there is no sufficient response, suddenly the carefully calculated micrograms are no more important and patient is asked to add another capsule. Patient is also allowed to eat unlimited amounts of vitamins from natural sources which is not logical since molecules of vitamins from the pharmacy or food are identical.

5th, since all vitamins except vitamins A, D, E and K are soluble in water they do not cause hypervitaminosis and can be given in an unlimited amounts. There is no advantage in giving any vitamin (water or fat soluble) in doses significantly below FDA approved daily allowances as Dr Shemesh is doing. To make things worse, Dr Shemesh does not recommend adding vitamins even in patients with clinical hypovitaminosis because, as he says, fixing hypovitaminosis will not allow his “secret formula” to work.

6th, in most cases, according to Dr Shemesh, it takes at least one year to see if capsules work, and from my observation they do NOT work in more than 95% of cases. Patient loses one year of very precious time that could have been spent on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) or sound therapy which are most efficient in the early phases of tinnitus. Dr Shemesh does not recommend mixing his unpublished, unproven and never tested metabolic approach with well published, proven and tested treatment with TRT and sound therapy because, as he says, “it is not possible to determine in advance who will and who will not respond”.

7th, Dr. Shemesh encourages his patients to pay attention to intensity of ringing, write down “graphical representation of tinnitus”, and increase the number of capsules until the ringing is gone. The main part of treatment of tinnitus, however, is in instructing patients to ignore ringing and not focus on it. By paying attention to tinnitus patients get more anxious, aware and bothered which further increases loudness of ringing creating a vicious cycle. It is of no surprise that some of his patients committed suicide after focusing too much on the therapy that did not work ***.

8th, Dr Shemesh is very compassionate and approachable physician who is available to his patients by cell phone throughout entire working day. It is not difficult to like him on a personal level. Most patients, however, misinterpret his charm reminiscent of Pope Francis for medical expertise. They wrongfully believe that he is the world’s final authority on tinnitus and get desperate when even he cannot help them.

9) Cost of living in Israel is high; cost of treatment is even higher. Below prices are translated into USD by the exchange rate of 3.5 New Israeli Shekel for 1 USD:

Consultation fee: 3600 USD ****
Laboratory exams: 800 USD
Multivitamin capsules: from 95.5 to 484 USD per month *****
Average price for a small studio in Tel Aviv from 2100 to 2600 USD for five weeks

Dr Shemesh has been treating thousands of tinnitus sufferers since 1981. It is well known and documented that in some lucky individuals tinnitus gets better or slowly disappears without any therapy especially during the first year. All of the patients from the videos that I had chance to talk to started taking capsules early, during first 4 to 6 months of symptoms. These patients would, in my opinion, get better even if they stayed at home and did nothing. Patients praising Dr Shemesh on videos confuse coincidence with causation. These were not cures but spontaneous remissions which are not uncommon in patients whose tinnitus lasted less than one year. Interestingly, his website still plays a video of a patient who got recurrence few years after the “cure” and later committed suicide due to intractable ringing. Video is shown as a success, the patient is, however, dead ***.
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If Dr Shemesh wants to prove that his treatment is not a placebo he should allow the double blind study, maybe with the participation of his own alma mater Hadassah Medical Center. In such a study one half of patients would have the contents of capsules replaced by inactive substance. Neither Dr. Shemesh nor patients would know who got capsules and who placebo. If follow up by independent observers would not correctly identify patients from both groups, than the whole therapy is a scam and not a cure.

Double blind clinical study will probably never be done. There is too much at a stake if testing proves beyond doubt that his therapy does not work. Dr. Shemesh gets 3600 US dollars from each patient and likely also kickbacks from very expensive multivitamin capsules he purveys. His income is far above the average salary of Israeli physician which is between 60 to 75 thousand US dollars a year.

I also think that Dr. Shemesh knows very well that his treatment does not work any better than placebo. If he thought differently, he would have invited independent researchers long time ago. As a religious man of god he claims to be, he would also have published his “secrets” and enable tinnitus sufferers of the entire world to be cured. At least, he would have trained someone to fill his shoes after he is gone; as of today Dr Shemesh has no successor.

Similar to tobacco and firearm industry he rationalizes his behavior. He claims that he does not want to publish his findings because “other physicians would misquote his discoveries as has happened with his vitamin B 12 article”. He also claims that testing cannot be done because “tinnitus is individual condition with therapy tailored for each patient”. The same is, however, true for any medical condition. Therapy of all cancers and infections is individualized, yet amenable to publication and clinical testing. Tinnitus is no exception.

My recommendation is as follows. If you are rich, have plenty of spare time, have exhausted all other therapies, would like to see Israel as a tourist and do not mind spending thousands of dollars for therapy that most likely will not work, than maybe you should go. However, if you are not rich, do not have time and have not tried all other therapies, I would strongly recommend you to see audiologist or psychologist in your own country. There is currently no cure for tinnitus; however, a skilled health professional can teach you how to live with tinnitus with as little stress as possible. Audiologist can in about three quarters of patients significantly decrease volume of ringing with sound therapy in only few months; this is what happened in my case after I finally stopped taking “medicine” of Dr Shemesh and went to see qualified audiologist. If audiologist is not successful, psychologist can help you cope with loud tinnitus. Indeed, it is possible to hear loud ringing 24/7 and not to suffer. Dr Shemesh, however, cannot teach you these skills.
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* This percentages are given to prospective patients via email before therapy starts. Dr Shemesh would ask you a couple of clinical questions, for example how long you have tinnitus, what does it sound like, what do you eat, etc. Regardless of what you tell him he would answer that you have a 70% chances for cure or significant improvement during the first year and higher chances if you take his medicine longer. (I made a test and sent him three different emails under three different names where I answered questions differently. He gave me same 70 to 80 % rate in each case. I wonder if he at all read my responses).

** Dr. Shemesh published with other authors about a dozen papers, nine of which he proudly displays on his website. He was the primary author of only one paper. Many of these papers are about Tinnitus, but none about treatment of Tinnitus.

*** I found out that at least two patients took their life due to tinnitus after searching help from Dr. Shemesh.

First patient, RE from Hawaii, used to be a strong supporter of Dr. Shemesh in the early stages of therapy. His posts staunchly supporting Dr. Shemesh are still on the internet and can be found if you type “Shemesh tinnitus scam” in Google. In May of 2009, nine years after he travelled to Israel for a cure, he could not tolerate ringing anymore and took his own life. Mr. RE did not contribute the video.

Second patient who committed suicide in 2013 is still praising Dr Shemesh on the “official” website http://www.en.tinnitus-vertigo-clinic.com . Sarah Miller, a likely accomplice of Dr Shemesh, plays the copy of the same video on YouTube and intentionally gives the wrong information. Second patient, whom I used to know personally, had tinnitus for 6 months (when it still could be reversed), and not 15 years as she claims in the title of the video and in the attached forged letter. It is obvious that knowing patient is dead and cannot speak out, Mrs. Miller (alter ego of Dr Shemesh?) assumes it is safe to lie.

Another shill (supposedly also tinnitus sufferer) Michael Cohen originally from Chicago, used to market Dr Shemesh in 2000. As of today, Michael Cohen is still not cured and is selling DVD “Devil’s symphony” on YouTube. The proceeds of sale supposedly go for tinnitus research.
**** Consultation fee of 3600 US dollars is paid for about 10 office visits while in Israel and for two year follow up by email or telephone. Fee is paid on the first day before treatment starts. Dr Shemesh would than ask you to sign a document where you agree not to ask for refund if treatment is not successful.

*****95.5 USD is a monthly fee for one key and one cylinder per day, 484 USD is a monthly fee for one key and eight cylinders per day. Since most patients supposedly respond to 3 to 6 cylinders, the average monthly price of capsules is from 206 to 373 USD.
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POST SCRITUM: Looking back, I understand better why I decided to visit Dr Shemesh despite having doubts. I noticed that he published nothing about his treatment approach and had no peer reviewed facts to prove his claims despite “curing” patients for over 30 years. All of his answers to my concrete questions were very vague. My impression was that he was selling hope and not evidence. I decided to see him anyway for one simple reason: official medicine told me that there was no cure while he assured me that he could cure most of patients. Knowing well that what sounds too good to be true is almost never true I took the gamble anyway because I am human. I was desperate and desperate people can be easily duped.

Looking back I also see striking resemblance between Dr Shemesh and Bernard Madoff. Both of them promised unrealistic results: Dr Shemesh to cure most of his patients, Mr Madoff to beat the market every single year. Both of them had no proof that their approach worked and both were poorly supervised or not supervised at all. Membership to both “clubs” was based on exclusivity: only the “chosen few” were allowed to join. Dr Shemesh keeps telling everyone that he screens his patients very carefully and selects only those who can assure him to be compliant and follow all of his instructions. Mr. Madoff, on the other hand, would pick only “sophisticated investors” which were by his definitions people with at least few million to invest. And of course, both of them were polite, approachable, charming, charismatic and well liked.

While there still is no cure, my current sound therapy treated tinnitus does not bother me. Most of the time I hear nothing. Only if I go to a quiet place and pay close attention, I do hear a faint distant sound. While I am in the strict technical sense not cured of tinnitus, I am for all practical purposes cured of suffering and enjoy the life as I did before.

As I think about the experience today, I'd say that I really bent over backwards to give Dr. Shemesh the benefit of the doubt in that article. @Tel Aviv Tinnitus's summary in Post #5 above much more closely reflects the reality.

I wrote him (the guy from the YouTube video) a few days ago and just got his reply. He talks about a 5 week journey in Israel, $4000 first yer, the $3000 per year... (trying to get more info on treatment, and time needed...)

I read with interest posts about Dr Shemesh and the secret "curative" therapy he is selling.

Years ago my buddy and me visited his clinic in Israel. Dr Shemesh recommended almonds, liver and his very expensive capsules. We were taking his pills for about two years. Almonds did not decrease ringing, they just made us fat and his pills were entirely useless. Against his advice we did not gradually stop taking pills but cut the supply at once. Our Tinnitus did not get worse as he warned. In sum, his therapy did not have any effect on ringing but had profound effect on our finances.

We also kept in touch with five other patients whom we met in his clinic. We contacted them recently and none of the five had any improvement whatsoever.

Before we left, we read internet posts about Dr Shemesh. The most promising were by Michael Cohen and Ray Ennis posted in 2000:

We recently found out that Michael Cohen, who was all over support groups luring patients to Israel for a promised "curative therapy" still has tinnitus, fifteen years after being "cured" by Dr. Shemesh:

More than ten years after the "curative treatment" we called restaurant Stella Blues http://stellablues.com/ which Ray founded and were told that Ray committed suicide because Tinnitus did not go away as Dr. Shemesh promised and as Ray initially had hoped:

She informed us that three of her patients went to see Dr. Shemesh, but none got any relief.

One of the most optimistic videos on the website of Dr Shemesh http://www.en.tinnitus-vertigo-clinic.com/ was testimonial by Tim Donahue. Before we left we called Tim who assured us that his tinnitus was completely gone 24
days after therapy and never recurred.

Recently we tried to talk to Tim again but could not reach him. We decided to talk to his family using white pages. We found out the following:

Tim developed tinnitus in 1999 and visited Dr Shemesh 5 months later. Dr Shemesh recommended some sort of herbs. Only 24 days later, 6 months after Tim got sick, tinnitus disappeared. Tim was very happy and Dr Shemesh recorded a video.

Unfortunately very soon tinnitus came back and Dr Shemesh start giving Tim capsules. Tim was receiving capsules for free for being the US spokesperson: he was telling everyone (including us) that he was completely cured when in fact he was not. On the contrary, he started with Valium, sound machine and continued with "free" capsules. Tim was able to manage his condition relatively well until around 2008 when tinnitus got much louder. Pills of Dr Shemesh had no effect and in spring of 2013 Tim committed suicide.

Dr Shemesh knew very well that Tim was not cured (he was regularly reminded when mailing him capsules), yet Tim's testimonial starts with blunt message: "Tinnitus Can Be Cured". After Tim's death, Dr Shemesh started broadcasting testimonials of his patients also on youtube under name Sarah Miller. None of Sarah's posts had any comments yet because they are not made visible by Dr Shemesh:

Recently, we found out that Euthanasia clinic in Holland was under fire for helping die a chronic tinnitus sufferer Gaby Olthuis, 47 old otherwise healthy mother of two. During the interview, at 9.45, it was mentioned that she visited doctors in Holland, Belgium and Israel:

Yvonne from the switchboard told us that Gaby visited Dr Shemesh in 2012 and decided for euthanasia two years later when she realized that even “the best Tinnitus doctor of our planet” could not help her. Yvonne later gave us Dr Shemesh's email in case we wanted to consult this “top expert”.

In sum, out of 14 patients including three of Dr. Shemesh's most devout disciples Ray, Michael and Tim, no one got better. On the contrary, Ray and Tim committed suicide and Gaby decided for euthanasia. Lucky patients from videos had tinnitus 6 months or less and improved spontaneously. (Dr Shemesh, of course, does not remove posts when tinnitus recurs if videos are already recorded. Sorry folks but honesty is not one of his virtues).

Currently there is no magic pill to cure Tinnitus; what is available is management of this mysterious condition. Most often people do habituate with time; if this does not happen, audiologist can help you habituate. People who suffer should visit tinnitus clinic so they do not end up dead like Gaby, Tim or Ray. If you have money and want to “do something”, than do not give money to charlatans but better make a donation here:

Dr. Shemesh is obviously very skilled in selling empty promises, hope, charm and lies. He is indeed very affable - as are the rest of scammers, in my opinion. It also seems that the only secret about his “therapy” is the fact that it does not help his patients, but works very well for his business.

I was initially very hesitant to write about my trip to Israel to see Dr. Shemesh regarding my medical condition of severe chronic Tinnitus. However, after several discussions with other patients who suffer from (T) and reading commentary on tinnitustalk.com. I concluded that I have a responsibility to share my experience.

[I will further refer to the doctor as Mr. Shemesh]

A) Specific things that Mr. Shemesh does not perform and/or discuss with patients:

1. Audiologist tests are not scheduled or performed - absolutely none. There are many audiologist tests used for purposes of diagnosing ear diseases.

2. Standard medical procedure for an ENT or Otolaryngology doctor is typanometric examination using an otoscope. This procedure is’nt performed neither is any visual examination of ears, eyes and nose performed - absolutely none.

3. MRI and CT Scans on disc are not studied / read.

4. Detail explanation of the actual medical process, which Mr. Shemesh uses for the treatment of (T) is not expressed on his website. *The actual ingredients in the capsules, which he prepares and sells to his patients is not revealed until the purchase of product is completed. None of the videos on his website discusses his medical procedures and/or the ingredients in the capsule medicines he prepares and sells to the patient.

5. There is no (zero) clinical, statistical, comparative studies offered to patients, before or after they arrive at his clinic in Israel, which discusses the efficacy / effectiveness of his formulated capsules. Nor is there any research data or medical information, which discusses the different ingredients combined in the prepared oral capsules he sells.

6. None of Mr. Shemesh’s patients will be given / offered the name and phone number of the Pharmacist who supposedly makes the oral capsules - absolutely no.

7. The oral capsules do not have a registered medical manufacturing number on the container. They only have an assigned number from Mr. Shemesh.

8. Mr. Shemesh does not use the “international tinnitus medical information form” to categorize and classify the patients symptomatic Tinnitus. This important medical form enables a physician the opportunity to observe characteristic changes in the patient’s (T).

9. Mr. Shemesh does not offer to any patient “medical statistical data” from his computer database, which would serve to indicate actual efficacy and results of his protocol based on a patient’s history.

10. Patients will not receive any type of endorsement, in writing, from a research university, hospital facility, private medical practice, medical laboratory, American Tinnitus Association, International Tinnitus Association, etc., that expresses or recognizes any efficacy / legitimacy in Mr. Shemesh’s protocol for treatment of Tinnitus.

B) On a personal note / Why I went to Israel:

I had managed for the most part my onset of severe chronic Tinnitus for two and a half years. What I actually mean is that I spent half of my time in a “living hell” with emotional insanity. The other half of time, I used every management approach that I researched. I spent a year in a medical library with a medical dictionary to study one of the most complex human conditions.

I spent thousands of dollars on trying different medical modalities seeking a cure. Yes, I was seeking or should I say, “dreaming” of a medical cure when I knew from my research and study of medical text that Tinnitus at this point of time “has no cure.”

My (T) had moved into a series of multiple symptoms, which simply put over-took my ability to emotionally keep things in mental order [high frequencies & louder db]. (T) is a medical condition, which has a physiological explanation. The challenge is 90% psychological – how does one perceive the unusual brain noises and how does one react – is your limbic nervous system holding up or is it collapsing into feelings of despair and panic mode.

If one selects and uses, after much trial & error, a course of (T) management tools, they will be able to rejoin their life as it was before.
[TRT, Sound Therapies, Medications - careful selection, Meditation, Hypnosis, and the list goes on – yes just about everything involved with (T) is expensive]

OK – I went to Israel as a last resort during a period in which I was emotionally way out of control because my (T) imploded. I went to Israel chasing false hope of a “curative process” – no such thing exists in this universe.

I became another victim of a man (Mr. Shemesh) who takes emotional and financial advantage of people who suffer from chronic disabling Tinnitus. “A salesperson from the old west that sells curative tonics in a bottle and counts his money in private.”

The error and mistake of going to Israel is on my lap - no one forced me - I just broke down emotionally and lost all sense of logic and the incapacity to accept the scientific / medical fact “there is no cure for (T). What there is – is a process of putting together a management protocol with selective tools to keep (T) harnessed and to live your life.

I wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars going to Israel to see (Dr.) Shemesh in chase of a non-existent cure. The two-year use of his oral medical capsules has not benefited me neither has it benefited any of the five other (T) sufferers I met in Israel.

I have attempted to be objective in my writing with a concern for being honest and not being regretful or revengeful.

However, I will make a subjective comment for closing.

From my personal observations and in rehashing all of my conversations (many questions of a medical nature) with Mr. Shemesh, I will conclude - I believe this man is beyond the capacity to see truth in science, truth in medical research & literature, and has lost the ability to question his own sense of “moral and ethical behavior.” Yes, he has made lots of money charging (T) patients $3,500.00 each and additionally he has created monthly income from the selling of expensive-overly priced supplemental / herbal capsules.

A final comment:

I knew Mr. Tim Donahue; we spoke several times on the telephone. His videotaping is Mr. Shemesh’s premiere marketing tool. Mr. Donahue committed suicide after suffering from Tinnitus for many years.

I honestly believe if Tim had received TRT and personal psychological counsel with a support group that he would not have taken his life. He was a talented musician who enjoyed performing for live audiences.

I cannot believe that Tim Donahue’s video presentation has not been removed from Mr. Shemesh’s website...!

In 1999 the Editor of American Tinnitus Association (ATA) called Dr. Shemesh to Israel to find out why his tinnitus treatment protocol was “censored”. Dr. Shemesh received his call warmly and was frank about the limitations that have been placed upon him by the Israeli Army. (Many of Dr. Shemesh’s patients were military personnel whose hearing was damaged by military noise exposure, like bomb and grenade blasts.) Dr. Shemesh was uneasy that his clinical work might go unnoticed because of the restrictions. “As you know,” he said, “in the world of science, it is publish or perish. I have not been able to publish any papers about my work with tinnitus patients over the years. So recently we officially applied to the Israeli Army for permission to publish the details of these 19 years of research. And we were told officially that we could not do it”.

In 1999 Dr. Shemesh was optimistic that the hold would be lifted soon. He explained “We are a country that is used to secrecy. And because of that, I know that it is easier for the Israeli Army to handle non-secret information than that which is secret.” He believed that the Israeli Army will, sooner than later, get wary of its hold on his work.

When few months later Dr. Nagler contacted Israeli Army, he received the below written response from Brigadier General Aryeh Eldad, MD, the surgeon general of Israel Defense Forces Corpses Medical Corps:

“The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps has NOT classified any protocol of treatment or drug for tinnitus. Dr. Shemesh is allowed to publish all his suggestions for treatment of tinnitus”.

Today, the results of his “35 year fight against tinnitus” are still not published. The only reason is that Dr. Shemesh has no results and no proof of anything. His website lists nine scientific articles that he published with other physicians. None of these talks about his metabolic treatment approach; Dr. Shemesh is instead taking credit for spontaneous remissions which are not unheard of in patients who had tinnitus relatively short time. (All of the patients from videos had tinnitus one year or less). His poster boy, Tim Donahue, recovered only for a short time in 1999 (when Dr. Shemesh recorded the video) and committed suicide due to intractable tinnitus in spring of 2013. The same video is, nevertheless, still being played by Dr. Shemesh as the evidence that “Tinnitus Can be Cured”. What a disgrace!

It is not the Israeli Army, neither is it the “vicious” pharmaceutical industry who is not allowing the clinical testing or publication of his “curative process”, but Dr. Shemesh himself. He knows very well that his approach works no better than placebo and does not want this to be confirmed by an academic institution. Such a study would have a negative impact on his cash flow. No one else is afraid of double blind clinical study more than Dr Shemesh !

Before flying to Israel you should ask yourself if you really want to put your health and your money in the hands of this habitual liar.

My commentary is a discussion about my trip to Israel in an effort to find the “secret cure” for intractable chronic tinnitus. Yes, there is a correlation to my story as told in the movie “Jules Verne’s, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.”

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with chronic tinnitus. I traveled from one doctor’s office to another only to hear the repeated phrase “you will have to learn to live with this condition, there is nothing that can be done medically.” Shocked and dismayed, my anxiety lead to serious depression and I further developed sleep deprivation. My emotional light bulb was turned off to a dark and dreary reality.

It is unfortunate for the 260-million tinnitus sufferers in the world that the majority of ENT and Otolaryngology physicians do not know much about the physiological mechanisms of tinnitus. The subject matter is barely discussed in medical school, limited to a brief few hours of study.

Many patients who develop chronic severe tinnitus become emotionally handicapped and very vulnerable because there is a deep sense of isolation; it is a loneliness, which can lead to suicidal ideation.

The medical community is lacking in the area of patient education, selective counseling and emotional support for patients with chronic tinnitus. None of the doctors I visited ever told me about the ATA (i.e.: American Tinnitus Association)!

The ATA website was my initial source for discovering and reading information concerning the different methods / modalities for managing the symptoms of tinnitus.

Tinnitus is mostly a psychological challenge, by this I mean how we “react” to the bizarre noises in our head determines the state of our emotional temperament.

Well, I was on over-load and my reactions were that of fear, bewilderment and chaos.

In desperation, I searched for clues on the internet. I was playing a bad game of monopoly; eventually I would loose everything on the boardwalk. I wanted to find the magical “cure”, to put an end to my misery. Now, I knew from my reading of many medical textbooks that in “reality”, there is “no cure” at this time for tinnitus. There are several clinically proven methods, tools and mechanisms to improve and manage the condition.

Vulnerability was my middle name and the logical side of my brain was on a long-term hiatus. As I searched through the onslaught of websites on the internet, I came upon the website of a Dr. Shemesh located in Israel. As I read the information on Dr. Shemesh’s website, I noticed the words “cure” “curative process” “healing process” strategically placed and repeated on several pages of his website. The website also displayed several anecdotal videos presentations by former patients who spoke highly of Dr. Shemesh and told of their personal stories.

Well, to make a long story condensed, I traveled to Israel and I met with the doctor of magic. I performed Dr. Shemesh’s “curative protocol” in a most disciplined manner, for a two-year period I took his medicinal capsules and subscribed to his dietary suggestions. I spent $3,600.00 for the doctor’s consultation fees, $1,200.00 for required laboratory tests and $1,000.00 for initial supply of capsules.

Overall, I spent $12,600.00 for my trip to Israel, which covered a six-week period. Over the two-year period, I spent an additional $1,500.00 for monthly capsules.

Conclusion: As of this writing, my tinnitus symptoms have not improved even to the slightest degree. This fact is confirmed by the results of my recent hearing and tinnitus test performed by my Audiologist, PhD.

The so-called “cure” has eluded me in the same manner that a criminal-mind / con-artist eludes an investigative process, which seeks to discover factual evidence.

The magical cure has escaped me. Additionally, it has escaped the six (6) other tinnitus patients I met in Israel; we have continued to correspond throughout the two-year period.

Time for a Reality Check:

On Dr. Shemesh’s website, he discusses the silver-bullet word of a “cure.” Argument: No other licensed doctor or medical clinic in the entire world makes such a statement. Considering that, Dr. Shemesh did not major in ENT / Otolaryngology or Neurology, his statement of a “cure” can only be considered bold and questionable.

Being that Dr. Shemesh has “never” subjected his tinnitus treatment protocol to clinical trials, random study trials, double-blind placebo trials, etc., perhaps it would be correct to call him “ludicrous.”

Dr. Shemesh sells to his patient’s prepared medicinal capsules made of vitamins, minerals and herbs. An “individual” pharmacist prepares the capsules. The name of the pharmacist is secret; this information will not be revealed to any patient. There is no way of determining the quality, consistency, purity, and shelf life of the capsules because they are not prepared in a manner, which is regulated by Israel State Pharmaceutical practices. Argument: What is truly in the medicinal capsules; they have never been tested for ingredient composition by a licensed testing laboratory.

The website of Dr. Shemesh shows pretty pictures of Hadassah Hospital and other Israel medical facility buildings. This is very deceitful because Dr. Shemesh’s office is in a very small medical building in an isolated area of Bane Braq. He no longer is involved with Hadassah Hospital. Argument: Is the website layout designed to be miss leading and to capture the eyes of vulnerable and gullible tinnitus sufferers?

Dr. Shemesh will verbally tell you the patient has an 80% chance for “cure” in a two-year period. However, on the paper work agreement, which the patient signs, it states that 90% of patients have been cured. Argument: 80% is not 90% and 90% is not 80% - so please make up your mind. Now, remember there is no substantial medical data to back up any of these claims.

With in the paper work is a signed agreement, which expresses that Dr. Shemesh has no obligation to offer the patient a “refund” should the protocol not work (No Cure). Argument: With a 90% cure rate why would the good doctor be so concerned about a small 10% failure rate?

Several patients that I know, asked Dr. Shemesh for a “partial refund” because the process did not work for them; his answer was an “absolute” not possible you signed an agreement.

Suggestive Summary:

With over 260 million tinnitus sufferers in the world is it not possible that the good doctor had a brainstorm. “If I suggest that I hold a “cure” for this most difficult brain and auditory condition, then people will flock to me as if I am the Messiah.”

“With the avoidance of legitimate clinical study and comparative analysis they will never be able to disprove my magical cure.”

“What a great idea and who does not trust a man with the initials Dr. (Doctor).”

“With all of this in mind I can create a most financially rewarding business model.”

I sincerely suggest to any tinnitus sufferer who is searching for the non-existent “cure” to repeat these words aloud – “Buyer Beware.”

On a personal note, I do question the very basic fabric of this man; what is his motivation and what is his standard of ethics.

Thanks Mike for adding your experience to this discussion. This Dr should be stripped of his license to practice and is no more ethical then the people selling "Tinnitus Miracle".

I like what you said about "Tinnitus is mostly a psychological challenge, by this I mean how we “react” to the bizarre noises in our head determines the state of our emotional temperament."-- that is very true!

I know the challenges of creating a personalized "tinnitus management protocol" ,which is not easy and most of the clinically indicated tools / mechanisms are expensive.

With much trial & error, even on a limited budget, most tinnitus sufferers can put into effect a process that will improve the symptomatic nature of their tinnitus.

If necessary continue to seek the assistance of a doctor (specialist), psychologist, psychiatrist, etc., who truly has experience and knowledge in the field of tinnitus management. I found a psychologist who has Tinnitus and thus his level of understanding and his approach is somewhat effective.

It is true, that only persons with tinnitus (i.e.: Physicians, etc.) have a grasp or awareness of the challenges presented by this condition.

Keep reading, keep researching and keep on trying different approaches for calming down the "noise maker."

Thanks Mike for adding your experience to this discussion. This Dr should be stripped of his license to practice and is no more ethical then the people selling "Tinnitus Miracle".

I think tinnitus is also very physical as well. Just a though.

Click to expand...

I like what you said about "Tinnitus is mostly a psychological challenge, by this I mean how we “react” to the bizarre noises in our head determines the state of our emotional temperament."-- that is very true!

Now, in respect to the fact that I'm not a physician, however I am well read as a layperson in the field of tinnitus study I will say the following.

The very nature of all activity in the human body is physiological, bio-chemical and electrical. In tinnitus the abrupt noises that we hear inside our auditory cortex and other adjacent brain tissue locations are a manifestation of very complex processes.

One of the many-many theories is that our microscopic hair cells in the cochlea are arranged in physical zones with each zone representing a hearing sensitivity level between 50HZ up to 20KHZ. The cochlea converts physical acoustic sound waves (physical energy) into bio-chemical energy values. The hair cells of the cochlea via the 8th cranial nerve (auditory nerve) send electrical signals, each with a mathematical value, to the auditory cortex.

Our hair cells of the cochlea are receiving physical sound values and the values of energy are converted with in the cochlea to bio-chemical electrical signals sent out through the auditory nerve; this process of activity occurs 24/7, even in side a room of pure silence the back & forth signal process (cochlea hair cells & auditory cortex) occurs at extraordinary speeds.

Most persons with (T) have some degree of hearing loss usually in the higher frequencies but there are those with (T) who have very normal hearing.

This is a long answer to your statement "I think tinnitus is also very physical as well. Just a though."

In essence it is physical and the noises we hear are theorized to being several things; one of them being sounds produced by the over-firing of neuronal cell structures located in the auditory cortex and other brain tissue locations.

I believe the entire process includes electrical, physical and bio-chemical activity.

From this simple explanation we can see, once again, why tinnitus research is so complex and challenging. The world community must raise up the ladder the subject matter of Tinnitus.

We have to support the ATA and any other organization that is truly engaged in offering research money.

”I live in Jerusalem and have been successfully treated for tinnitus by Israeli medical doctor Zacharya Shemesh, Director of the Tinnitus Clinic at Hadassah Hospital/Ein Kerem. I moved here from Chicago three and a half years ago, having heard of Dr.Shemesh from my son at MIT who wanted to help me & found Dr. Shemesh's name and information about his 90 % success rate on the internet. That gave me a spark of hope.... Because Dr Shemesh knows more, perhaps, than any other tinnitus specialistin the world (because for twenty years he has been treating severe tinnitus, hyperacusis, and Meneire's -- with proven success), there is nobetter choice for treatment… As for my role, I would like to be a friend away from home in Israel during your month-long visit…People ask why the treatment cannot be done locally. Dr. Shemesh's treatment, which has a lot to do with a one-on-one relationship, simply does not lend itself to "export", as much as some people would like it to be available locally. A four week stay is necessary.”

Few weeks ago I found out that Mr. Cohen still has Tinnitus. I contacted him through his website www.covisions.com and asked him whether I should buy the 10 thousand US $ “cure” from Dr. Shemesh. (3,500 $ initial consultation, 6,500 $ two year supply of “secret magic pills” and laboratory exams). Below is the copied reply from Michael Cohen who met hundreds of patients flocking to Israel in hope of 10,000 $ “cure”:

“Dr. Shemesh is basically (to me) a doctor who does not divulge his very specific ways. He does have a following, but I have never heard of a cure, just hope…”

If no one was ever cured, we should ask ourselves what is the secret of Dr Shemesh’s initial “success”?

Dr Shemesh is “successful” because he is telling his patients what they want to hear – that he can cure, not just manage, the vast majority of them. The initial “success”, however, becomes a time bomb when the “cure” does not show up within 2 or more years. Patients improperly start to believe that something must be very wrong with them if even the best Tinnitus doctor cannot help them. The whole “therapy” is a trap, which leaves patients devastated and Dr Shemesh richer. Indeed, a very clever business model…

Attached Files:

Yes, a discussion about Tinnitus, which includes the subject of potential suicide is perhaps depressing or very sad. However, it needs to be talked about; an awareness of the fact that (T) can cause suicidal thoughts may help the patient seek proper psychological support and/or prescribe the appropriate medications to calm and relax the limbic nervous system.

The majority of chronic tinnitus sufferers who pursue legitimate help and read about their condition (medical information & treatment options) do habituate and remit the level of tinnitus loudness & pitch.

“Then a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurts out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor cringes, suspects the assertion is true, but continues the procession.” (Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes; Fairy Tales Told for Children, 1837)
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Dear chronic tinnitus sufferer; this letter is written by someone who has lived through the hell of chronic tinnitus and finally found peace. If you recently discovered that you have tinnitus or you have tinnitus for a while, please read my letter.

My Tinnitus started a few years ago after a trauma event to my head and it is still present. The effect was horrendous; Tinnitus robbed me of sleep, ability to concentrate, inner peace, social life and my job. I felt helpless like a victim of Chinese torture with water constantly dropping upon my shaved head. Not long before this terrible occurrence I was fully active in life and I had excellent health. Then, suddenly, everything changed. If you were to place me back in time to Versailles and make me the king of France (or the master of universe) I would still just want to die. While driving along highways and seeing billboards for millions of Euro jackpot rewards, I had only one wish; to win the first prize and give it all to the person who could cure me.

I went to see the local ENT specialist, neurologist and audiologist. The MRI of my brain and hearing test were both normal. My T had a strong somatic component and because I had no problems of equilibrium, my ENT doctor told me, “there was no cure and that I will have to learn to live with this scourge condition for the rest of my life.” The Neurologist was even blunter; he told me “he felt sorry for me because there was no cure and because many (but not all) T patients may commit suicide.” He even told me about two of his Tinnitus patients, a father and son, who both hanged themselves on the same tree (not on the same day). Yes, this was such a horrid story that it sent chills through my entire spine. Very encouraging indeed!

My Audiologist repeated to me that there was no cure, but said that there was a therapy, which could help me manage my Tinnitus, but not cure my condition. He recommended the use of sound therapy.
Of course, I did not want to manage my Tinnitus, I wanted to be cured. I wanted my Tinnitus to go away, and not rely on crutches to support my sanity.

Then I started to surf the internet. I put into Google “tinnitus cure”and found Dr. Shemesh’s website. While reading his website, where the words“cure” and “curative process” are written over a hundred times, I felt like a child in the candy store. I called him to Israel several times and he assured me that he could cure, not manage, the vast majority of his Chronic Tinnitus patients.

The innuendo of “military secret” (mentioned in some of the yuku.composts) and “the holly land of Israel” suddenly became my two magical words. I thought that I finally found the man who could save me. I believed I would get a “specially designed curative treatment”, which was only available to the soldiers of Israeli Defense Forces, and was designed by Dr. Shemesh in conjunction with Hadassah Medical Center, the top-notch medical facility of the Middle East.

Needless to say, I was extremely happy. I mentioned to my work supervisor that I might need a 5-week leave of absence to receive medical treatment by the Tinnitus “guru”, who agreed to take me under his wings. Shortly, I was fired for requesting a medical leave, but I did not care. The magical “cure from tinnitus” would pay me back beyond my loss of a job. Who cares about work if you have a two-ton gorilla behind your neck trying to suffocate you 24 hours a day.

However, there were many red flags waved before I left. After I contacted Dr. Shemesh through his website, he replied to me with emails sent from hotmail and gmail accounts, not from respectable institutions such as Israeli Army, Hebrew University, or Hadassah Medical Center. I learned that Dr. Shemesh worked alone. I sent half a dozen emails to different members of the ENT department at Hadassah Hospital and no one endorsed Dr. Shemesh. I noticed that his last journal publication was in 2002; additionally, I noticed that nothing was ever published about his metabolic therapy. I read a letter titled“Dr. Shemesh Clinic in Israel - The hope and reality” by Dr. Stephen Nagler, which expressed skepticism about the “tinnitus guru”, but I disregarded it. I wishfully thought that Dr. Nagler might be incapable of seeing the genius of Dr. Shemesh. Finally, after watching the anecdotal videos on Shemesh’s website and in contacting a few patients, I realized that none of these patients had long-term chronic tinnitus. All of them had T for 6 months or less before they started the “curative treatment” and all of them got significantly better within one year of symptoms. This typically occurs quite often, even with untreated patients, who experience a short duration of T onset (spontaneous remission). When I talked to Tim Donahue, his conversation exchange was very short. As I know today, he was already in agony from a recurrence of CT and was no longer able to lie with enthusiasm about Dr. Shemesh. Tim Donahue, committed suicide due to Chronic Tinnitus in spring of 2013; Dr. Shemesh, however, continued to play his video “Tinnitus Can be Cured” for another two years and recently removed it only after an outcry from other patients.

In the back of my mind, I thought perhaps that Dr Shemesh might be a con artist. However, I concluded that no person who is a doctor, who has given Hippocrates Oath and is religious like Dr. Shemesh, could scam someone who is losing his or her sanity from a horrifying condition. I could never do that to anyone, so I assumed that no one would do so to a handicap and suffering person as me.
I left for Israel. I did not consider the Tinnitus clinic of a major university center located close to my town. I wanted to travel to the exotic Holly Land of Israel and get help from the Holly Man - Dr Shemesh. Since I suffered immensely from the intractable ringing in my head I did not care for logical thinking anymore. I thought I finally found my savior, my protector, my father and my god. Here he was, in flesh and blood, ready to save me from my torture. His name was Dr. Zecharia Shemesh, a graduate of Hebrew University and the self-proclaimed “god of Tinnitus”.

My first surprise occurred when the taxi dropped me off in front of his "medical clinic". The clinic did not look like the modern building pictures from his website, the actual clinic was a pit in the basement of an old ugly building (see first picture below; in the upper row is the picture from his Website, in the lower row is reality). Dr Shemesh, however, was very warm, attentive, and he promised me 90% chance of a “success”. Therefore, I did not care about the location.

The second surprise followed shortly after I paid him $3,500.00 US dollars for consultation fee. Dr. Shemesh asked me to sign a document, where I had to give up any request for a refund if the treatment is not successful. (see second picture below; in the upper row there is a written claim indicating a 90% success rate from Dr Shemesh’s recommendations regarding his Medical Treatment, in the second row there is a disclaimer about his zero refund policy from the Contract Agreement). It struck me, as odd, that a man with only a 10% failure rate would worry about a small fraction of patients that he could not help.
I was required to travel to two very remote laboratories outside of Tel Aviv (Herzliya and Haifa) to get my blood test done. Shortly my tests came back, all of them negative for any “metabolic imbalance". Dr. Shemesh explained that sometimes it only seems there is no imbalance. With his “hawkish eyes” and his “intuition at play” he expressed that my upper normal value of Vitamin B12 was actually “severely decreased”. He then offered to me a“personalized treatment tailored just for my needs”. I was to slowly raise my Vitamin B12 levels with very small dosages together with other vitamins and minerals to “keep my entire metabolism in balance”. When I asked him why he does not want to increase the value at once with inexpensive vitamin B12 I can buy in a pharmacy, he explained that it should be done slowly, or it would not work. Everything sounded crazy, but here I was thousands of kilometers away from home. I already gave the man $3,500.00 dollars for initial fee; I paid another $2,500.00 dollars for a small rental studio, $1,800.00 dollars for the air ticket and $1,000.00 dollars for laboratory tests. I could not just go home. I thought, perhaps, this man is an unrecognized genius that knows something, which the rest of the world does not know… or, so I deeply hoped.

After 5 weeks, I returned home with plenty of his capsules. I was instructed to keep increasing the number of pills each eight weeks until I would find the “correct” dosage. I did not feel any decrease in the loudness of my Tinnitus; after self-evaluating the intensity at least a few times a day, my Tinnitus was actually getting worse. Dr. Shemesh explained that this was a“good sign”. He revealed that I was experiencing a “healing crisis” that my body was trying to readjust to a new “metabolic environment” caused from his capsules. I was told to keep increasing the number of capsules to “decrease”the perceived ringing, and of course, I had to keep paying Dr. Shemesh more and more money for my supply of very expensive vitamins and herbal supplements. I did not want to lose the initial “health investment into myself" (this is one of Shemesh’s catch phrases that he uses), therefore I kept paying him more and more money. I found myself in a vicious cycle. The more I listened to my T, the louder it became, the more capsules I took, and of course, the more of my money was transferred from my account into the account of my "savior". I also believed that if this “god of Tinnitus” cannot help me, than no one else could. I was thinking of suicide daily. My Hyperacusia was so strong that even typing on my computer was bothersome. I could not speak loudly because my own voice made my Tinnitus worse. I could not speak on the telephone, just only whisper. I was lost in the deepest level of Dante’s Inferno and even my “god from Israel”could not help me. When I was at my lowest point, 15 months into taking his multivitamins, minerals and herbs, I saw the movie “The Silence of Lambs” and recognized myself in the role of the woman at the bottom of the well; my torturer at the top was Chronic Tinnitus!

Fifteen months after starting with the medicinal capsules from Dr. Shemesh, I finally decided to forget about the “cure”. I walked over to the Tinnitus Clinic located close to my home and I learned about T management techniques instead of continuing with the capsules.

Upon the recommendations of the Audiologist, I decided for sound therapy. I decided to use one of the main three sound therapies used in the West, which are Zen, Soundcure and Neuromonics. At the same time, another neurologist encouraged me to use electric stimulation of the brain called tRNS (transcranial random noise stimulation). tRNS is not currently available in the United States; it is approved only for clinical research. Fifteen months after being “treated” by Dr. Shemesh and two years after I got Tinnitus, I started with suggested sound therapy and concurrent tRNS treatments. I was using sound therapy daily and tRNS about 10 days per month.

My Hyperacusia was permanently cured in only three days. It took, however, much longer to get my CT under control. I felt the first positive changes in 14 days. One year later, the ringing decreased to such an extent, that I was bothered by the Tinnitus only one or two days a month. I am not cured, but I no longer suffer. Now, I do savor life. I can go to a loud rock concert, sit in front of the speaker and relish… The loud music does not make my T worse. I actually enjoy listening to loud music; I feel like someone is giving a massage to my brain. However, remember, that my Tinnitus was not caused by loud noise degeneration of my cochlea hair cells (but head trauma) and I do not have any hearing loss.

While being “treated” by Dr. Shemesh, I came in contact with four other patients. One of them continued with his therapy for 12 months, the second for 18 months, the other two completed a full 24-month period. Not one person got cured; no one got any better. Additionally, when they told Dr. Shemesh they wanted to discontinue with his overpriced capsules, he asked them to add a very potent psychoactive substance Venlafaxine to the multivitamin regimen for 6 months. This would only serve to prolong the time these sufferers were paying him for capsules. He told them that Venlafaxine had no serious side effects and no withdrawal symptoms, which is absolutely not true. Suicide is one of the most dangerous adverse effects of this drug. Only Dr. Shemesh would know if the patients who killed themselves (Ray Ennis, Tim Donahue, Gaby Olthius, maybe more?) were taking this very dangerous psychoactive drug before they chose death.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venlafaxine

In hindsight, I lost 12 thousand dollars and 15 months of my life, and gained nothing except plenty of sweet cheap talk. Others, who completed the 2 year treatment were less lucky; some patients have given to Dr. Shemesh all of their life savings and after two-years they all still have Tinnitus as before or their symptoms have gotten worse.

Yes, Dr. Shemesh was very kind to me and gave me plenty of compliments; he said I was exceptionally gifted, intelligent, etc. However, there were two occasions when he lost his cool and almost threw me out of his office. In both cases, he got visibly upset with two simple questions. I asked him “why he is no longer working with Hadassah Medical Center” and “why he did not publish any results of his work”. His raised the tone of his voice, became red in the face and cried in anger claiming that administrators at Hadassah Hospital were worse than politicians in the old Soviet Union. In regards to publishing his work, he replied that he keeps “everything in his head” and one day in the future, he will teach his daughter all his secrets.
In retrospect: I've learned the following from my journey to "Hell & Back."

1. The "curative treatment" described by Dr. Shemesh on his website is a lie; as far as I know, no one who had Tinnitus for two years or longer was ever permanently cured. Dr. Shemesh is medically so vague that he really says nothing in detail or in specifics. Many of his statements, as we have learned, are actually redundant lies backed with no scientific facts. He lies about his past medical work; he lies about the Israel Military; he lies about his clinical publications; he lies about Tim Donahue’s history pretending he does not know Tim committed suicide due to recurrent Chronic Tinnitus (Tim's actual condition was contrary to the message shown in his video - he never was cured); he lies about “two books on tinnitus” he is just about to publish; he lies about patient success rates; he lies about the secretive pharmacist; he lies about his capsules, etc. On his website there is no mention, at all, about capsules....or what the hell does he actually do in his protocol!

2.While visiting his office, I met several of his so-called “cured” patients who surprisingly were still visiting his office and were paying him money for capsules. I wondered why these people were still paying him money if they were “cured”? When I talked to the "cured" patients alone, they told me that they still hear T, but they continue to purchase capsules because they want to feel “emotionally in control".

3.If you psychologically suffer from an illness such as Chronic Tinnitus, you will emotionally change into a child. The longer and worse is your suffering, the more unrealistic you will become in your thinking. You will believe almost anything if you are completely desperate, you will easily become a victim of con artists promising you the “cure”, even if you know there is no cure and everything sounds crazy. We hear the word "management protocol" and we say no, I want to be "cured." None of us really ever grows older in our brain's personality; we are the child of our childhood years. Only the human body eventually erodes and we get old - our thoughts and emotions have no age, no time clock.

4.Unfortunately, there are no agencies stopping fraudulent “gurus” like Dr. Shemesh (or Dr. Wilden) from advertising their false claims. Publishing a medical paper for peer review (case report, review article, medical series etc.) costs nothing and does not need the FDA approval. The FDA is not an enemy of the sick populous. The FDA is not owned by rich doctors or the pharmaceutical industry to promote expensive treatments compared to “natural” ones. The most expensive treatment for Tinnitus is actually Dr. Shemesh’s unproven “treatment”. In the course of two years, you will pay at least 10 thousand US dollars ($3,500.00 initial fee, about $5,500.00 for two-year supply of his multivitamins, $1,000.00 for the lab work). You will also spend another 5 to 8 thousand dollars for travel, lost wages, hotel and food if you are not from Tel Aviv. Moreover, at the end, your Tinnitus will be the same or even worse. Finally, the Israeli Army never put a hold on Dr. Shemesh’s protocol methods. A military hold on medical publication is only one of the many lies Dr. Shemesh sells to suffering people.

5.A psychologist explained to me how well-educated professional people rationalize their own thoughts and self-beliefs, in order to justify false and dishonest behavior. In their minds, the lies they express are god given truths based on what they want to see and hear. This includes people who are religious followers and even well educated doctors. Dr. Shemesh is only one among the many dishonest persons in this world, he is certainly not alone.

6.No one has yet invented the “magic pill” that cures Chronic Tinnitus, and if one did, it would make worldwide news. The medical community would be aware of it and the inventor would not keep the procedure from peer review because positive clinical trial results would be the best advertisement. When a legitimate cure is developed, it will be patented and the work will be published. The responsible individual will receive the Nobel Prize and become millionaire. Only Dr. Shemesh advertises his “fake and false treatment” on obscure internet websites with anecdotal videos!

7.A medically managed approach for Tinnitus is actually not a bad deal. Yes, you may hear a faint background noise if you listen to it, but your life is almost back to normal. My condition changed from seriously thinking of suicide 5 days a week (especially while taking "medicine capsules" from Dr. Shemesh) to mild annoyances occurring 1 to 2 days monthly. I am not tortured anymore because I got help from legitimate and clinically proven methods for the treatment of Chronic Tinnitus.

8.Chronic Tinnitus sometimes improves or completely disappears by itself. I know ten people who have suffered with Tinnitus from 6 months to 7 years. Their age at the time of diagnosis was between 30 to 80 years. Nine of them today hear nothing and one hears only faint Tinnitus if he listens closely to it. All ten of them used no therapy. None of them visited Dr. Shemesh, but if they did, Dr. Shemesh would ask for their praise of him and request an anecdotal video.

In summary, I think we have to give the devil (Dr. Shemesh) his due. His website is an exceptional tool by which he attracts gullible people from all over the world. To make the website look more “scientific” and“legitimate” Dr. Shemesh and his son have added links to the first-class research community called “Tinnitus Research Initiative” (TRI). However, they failed to mention that Dr. Shemesh has never published anything about treatment for Tinnitus and he has never been a member of TRI. Dr. Shemesh with his son has recently redesigned his website adding pictures of Israel hospitals and medical diagrams, using simplified terminology and hooky-catch phrases. They are making their website visually softer, easier, with more colorful pictures - the key design is to catch emotionally vulnerable sufferers who read "curative process", "cure", "excellent improvement"! Dr. Shemesh has been stealing money from sickly persons for over 20 years; Tinnitus sufferers who are half crazed and are vulnerable to the false presentation of his website have been travelling to the Holly Land for decades. His website is like a “spider with a gigantic web” to catch people in a state of pure misery.

My final advice to you, Tinnitus sufferers, is to trust only official medicine (clinically proven methods) and run away from self-proclaimed “gurus” who are selling “the cure.” Use your common sense, if they had the real cure, they would not be offering their “secret deals” on the internet! Do not look for exotic therapies, better work with a trained Audiologist who is experienced in the area of tinnitus. Look for specialists in your area who are trained in sound therapy applications. In the USA, FDA cleared sound therapies are Zen, Soundcure and Neuromonics (do your research, as these devices are expensive). In the European Union, they use only the first two devices; however, Neuromonics has applied for a license, which it will most likely receive within a year.

If you are, still not convinced that Dr. Shemesh is nothing more than a very skilled con artist, then do the following. On his website Dr Shemesh brags about “the unique medical treatment that was formed following a series of clinical studies that began in 1981 at Hadassah Ein-Kerem University-Hospital and was later continued as a co-production with the Israeli Defense Forces”. In truth, the mere existence of such a project is very questionable because Dr Shemesh does not offer any evidence to substantiate such a claim.
Therefore, ask Dr. Shemesh to email you the website links for the published reports of the above joint project. (Be careful, the nine articles you can read on his website are not about treatment!). Your request for information will be denied, Dr. Shemesh will stop communicating with you and you will know that everything he says is a Big Fat Lie.

You have posted an extraordinary personal experience regarding your onset of chronic tinnitus.

Unfortunately, you too were emotionally and financially harmed by Dr. Shemesh.

This man who hangs a medical shingle on the wall, is beyond human description and he's taken serious advantage of tinnitus sufferers for many-many years.

Obviously he has no moral or ethical values as indicated by his financial pilfering of sickly persons.

I ask of every person on this website-page to please post your articles and commentary about this crazed doctor on every website that is possible.

All of us who have been emotionally and financially scammed by Dr. Shemesh must warn the world (other tinnitus patients) about this con-artist and prolific liar.

There is not one bit of any medical science or clinical data to substantiate one single claim made by this man regarding his tinnitus treatment and the absolute false claim of a "cure."

It is a fact (a truth) that Dr. Shemesh Tinnitus Clinic in Israel is not only a Bluff; it is a conspiracy to cause more psychological pain to tinnitus sufferers while padding the pocket book of a crazed man.

I searched like everyone else, but I had trouble seeing Shemesh's Clinic through the ocean of red flags waving ahead of me. Never even a serious consideration, not even at my worst. Reputable Israeli Hospitals treating genuine veterans would be the only place over there to look, and I suspect the Israelis, focused as they are on identity, would take better care of their own than we in the West do.